The issue of prohibition is certainly not a new one to our nation. In 1919, the 18th Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale or transportation of alcoholic beverages. "Suddenly honest, responsible Americans who just wanted a drink, were turned into criminals. Respectable bars became underground speak-easys, and legitimate liquor manufacturers were replaced by criminal bootleggers." Gang warfare, bribery, and criminal activity reached an all-time high. Standards on illegal alcohol were much lower than those on the previously legal alcohol which led to the blinding or death of many consumers. Finally in 1933, politicians buckled and repealed the 18th Amendment. The

Druyan's husband, Carl Sagan, co-producer of the PBS series Cosmos; and many more.

N.O.R.M.L (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) is a fully recognized organization that lobbies for the "removal of criminal penalties for the individual who uses marijuana in private" as it is "consistent with traditional American values of the right to privacy, personal choice, and individual freedom." N.O.R.M.L.'s Board of Directors reads like a "Who's Who" in the world of science. Such distinguished members include Dr. Kary Mullis, the winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in chemistry; Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Harvard Medical School Professor; Dr. Louis Lasagna, chairman of the National Academy of Sciences committee and dean of the Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University; Ann Druyan, secretary of the Federation of Scientists;

This property is then sold at public auctions with the proceeds going to hire more police and to buy more weapons.

The next issue becomes one of safety. A major danger of drug use in today's society is the potentially harmful effects. Such problems as the spread of HIV/AIDS, overdoses, and physical withdrawal could be curbed if drugs were kept under the watchful eye of law. Take for example the issue of HIV/AIDS. This arises mainly from the circulation of dirty hypodermic needles. By legalizing

moderation. The small percentage who are addicts deserve our help, not our judicial persecution.

Drug use cannot be prevented and the most rational solution would be to educate the people about the risks, and encourage moderate use. Criminalization makes this kind of rational behavior impossible. By legalizing drugs, education could accompany the purchase of the drugs in the form of

Most of the violent crime associated with drugs can be traced directly to the drug dealers and not the users. "The 'war on drugs' drives up prices, which attracts more people to the drug trade. When potential profit increases, drug dealers resort to greater extremes, including violence." For example,

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 3209
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)